Streetcar skeptic to believer (Cincinnati, Findlay: lofts, houses, camp)

[cincydave8]

Findlay Market vendor claims streetcar is behind booming business - Story

"She says some stores have reported a 30 percent increase in sales since the streetcar started traversing Cincinnati's streets."

"At Fresh Table in Findlay Market, clerk Bobby Vargas said they've seen a 16 percent increase in monthly sales. He said they often ask whether people rode the streetcar to get there and that many customers do."

[Wilson513]

OK, so where did they publish the final January, 2017 numbers?

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

Findlay Market vendor claims streetcar is behind booming business - Story

"She says some stores have reported a 30 percent increase in sales since the streetcar started traversing Cincinnati's streets."

"At Fresh Table in Findlay Market, clerk Bobby Vargas said they've seen a 16 percent increase in monthly sales. He said they often ask whether people rode the streetcar to get there and that many customers do."

So suburbanites who would not have otherwise visited Findley Market are now doing so because of the Connector? How dismal were sales if this Connector has increased sales 30%. Always leery of % figures, especially from the feel-good CIN media: 10 customers to 13 is a 30% increase. Odd that the Findlay Market is booming because of the streetcar yet the streetcar ridership numbers are not.

Anyway, good or bad, you have to wait until at least September 2018 to determine #s for the streetcar; year over year figures.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Kamms

So suburbanites who would not have otherwise visited Findley Market are now doing so because of the Connector? How dismal were sales if this Connector has increased sales 30%. Always leery of % figures, especially from the feel-good CIN media: 10 customers to 13 is a 30% increase. Odd that the Findlay Market is booming because of the streetcar yet the streetcar ridership numbers are not.

Anyway, good or bad, you have to wait until at least September 2018 to determine #s for the streetcar; year over year figures.

Even if that was the case, who cares? If a struggling business was helped, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Even if that was the case, who cares? If a struggling business was helped, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

It's not a bad thing, it's a puff news story, that's all; trying to make Cincinnati residents prematurely believe the streetcar was worth the $150 million and climbing with a lady claiming she sold more cupcakes because of it. Glad her cake sales are up; but it's not because of the streetcar.

[jmecklenborg]

The streetcar and Findlay Market area were booming yesterday (Sunday). Short of the Opening Day Parade I have never seen so many people walking around that area. There was an art show of some kind inside Rhinegeist but otherwise there was no special event.

It's pretty obvious at this point that a trip on the streetcar has become part of downtown excursions for out-of-town guests. People are coming downtown with a van full of kids to visit the riverfront and then taking the streetcar up to Findlay Market and back. It's a low-cost way to spend an afternoon. Way cheaper than visiting the aquarium or Union Terminal.

[jmecklenborg]

Here are a few photos I took on Sunday Feb 19, 2017. I walked from Rhinegeist about two miles south to Second St., then took the streetcar back up to where I started.

Findlay Market stop on Race St.:


Renovations directly across the street from the station pictured above:






People walking to the Rhinegeist art show:






On Elm at Findlay Market:


On 12th:


On Main:


Second St. at The Banks:


Approaching 12th St. stop at Vine:

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Here are a few photos I took on Sunday Feb 19, 2017. I walked from Rhinegeist about two miles south to Second St., then took the streetcar back up to where I started.

Findlay Market stop on Race St.:


Renovations directly across the street from the station pictured above:






People walking to the Rhinegeist art show:






On Elm at Findlay Market:


On 12th:


On Main:


Second St. at The Banks:


Approaching 12th St. stop at Vine:

Nice...but those stations don't look swamped with people;the weekends are supposed to be the ''busy'' times for the Connector?

[jmecklenborg]

A picture of people waiting at stations doesn't indicate how many will get off as the pictured board. Maybe it's zero, maybe it's 100. It doesn't indicate how long people have been waiting either. Maybe 20 more people show up. Maybe the people waiting change their plans and do something else.

[Wilson513]

Fare revenue is off by 41 percent and there have been unforeseen costly repairs to ticket machines.
Streetcar riders by month:
September: 133,322
October: 95,286
November: 49,920
December: 52,209
January: 35,334